Beneath the Shadows
by GhostOrchestra
Summary: The girl stared at the building, her black and blue hair blowing gently in the breeze before placing a hand on the door. 'Oh please, oh please let him be here.' She thought before giving it a push.
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

***Please Read***

**Now before reading, I just wanted to say a few things first. ;) First off, this is my first story so please don't expect too much. . ^^ Second of all, this is supposed to take place about a month after the Grand Magic Tournament. Third of all, I just wanted to say that no, this new character _will __not_ be the narrator like the way Lucy is. Since you're supposed to easily imagine it as part of the manga/anime or whatever, there won't be only one POV throughout the whole story; it'll change around. ;) Also, I really like the pairings JuviaxGray, ErzaxJellal, NatsuxLucy, and GajeelxLevy so if you dislike those pairs, you might wanna get out since you'll definitely be seeing them in here. :P (Well...maybe not so much Jerza since they aren't in the same guild.) Last of all, please enjoy!**

***Small Note* (Sorry, one last thing)**

**Sometimes you might see a * or maybe ** or maybe even *** next to some words or something. When you see those, that means I have a little extra info that I placed at the bottom of the page that you could read later to clarify some stuff. ;)**

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"W-wow...it's so lively..." A black and blue haired teenager said as she took a step back, watching as a young girl and boy ran past, both carrying balloons and laughing hysterically. She wasn't used to being in such a busy city, and frankly, she felt a little intimidated by all the buildings and people.

"Of course it is," The black wolf beside her smiled. "It's Magnolia, what would you expect from it?"

"True..." The girl watched as a couple walked past them, both sharing laughter, the girl clinging onto the boy's left arm, sneaking him a peck on the cheek.

"Hey, hey," The black she-wolf murmured, recognizing the distant look in her eyes, padding back to her. "C'mon, we're here to join a guild, not to look at other people," The wolf nudged the girl's hand, the girl finally tearing her eyes away to gaze warmly in the canine's eyes.

"I know, I know," The teenager noticed a little girl staring at her and the wolf beside her, her brown eyes wide with curiosity. The black haired teen nodded once to her, and gave her a smile that she hoped looked friendly before going on.

"I'm excited," The she-wolf announced suddenly, a bright smile on her face as her blue eyes sparkled. "We've never been to a guild before," She stopped, turning her neck to face the girl. "Maybe you'll make some close friends that aren't wolves." She tilted her head to one side, a hopeful look on her face.

The girl smiled back. "I will...I will..." _I hope._ "You should worry about yourself too. It'll be harder to make friends if you're a wolf rather than if you're a human."

The wolf flicked her tail nonchalantly. "Perhaps, we'll see." The two continued on, both of them earning a few stares every now and then since they weren't used to the sight of a wolf in town. The black she-wolf glanced back at the girl again, and sighed to herself when she saw the distant look in the teen's eyes. _She's thinking about him again._ She stared down at her paws as she walked, gritting her sharp fangs, her eyes narrowing. The canine hated it whenever she saw that look in her friend's eyes. _Cause there's nothing I can do to ease her pain. _The wolf gazed up at the blinding sun miserably. _No matter how hard I try._

"Faia."*

The she-wolf snapped up when she heard her name called somewhere amidst the crowd of people. She immediately recognized the deep voice, but she couldn't see him, her eyes scanning the area.

"Did I just hear Orsan** call you?" Suddenly the teen's voice seemed really loud, and Faia glanced to her left to see that she had caught up with her and was bending down so her mouth would be closer to her ear. Before Faia could reply, the two females watched as the massive golden wolf slinked past between two surprised men, reaching them in a few bounds.

"Did you find it?" The black she-wolf smiled as she watched Orsan shake is thick mane, as if there was something bothering him. Even though wolves weren't animals who had manes, the fur around the male wolf's neck was so thick that it almost looked like a one. Of course it still wasn't as impressive as a lion's though.

"I found it," The golden wolf confirmed, winking a single eye, causing Faia to roll her own. Orsan looked up at the teenage girl, a slightly nervous look on her face. "Come on, let's go. It's your big day isn't it?"

She gave him a weak smile, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, it is," She murmured quietly. Faia smiled sadly, her tail gently thumping the girl's hand to urge her on.

It wasn't hard to find it. The building was impressively large and the sun shone down on it, and for a moment the girl wondered if that was on purpose. If Orsan was correct, it stood in the center of Magnolia, tall and proud.

"Fairy Tail..." The girl read. She glanced down at the two wolves for support, Faia offering a small smile and Orsan a wink. She smiled back nervously, her heart feeling oddly light. She wasn't used to the feeling, and she frowned for a moment, disliking the fact that it was making her act different. _But it's not a bad thing._

The girl stared at the building, her black and blue hair blowing gently in the breeze before placing a hand on the door. _Oh please, oh please let him be here._ She thought before giving it a push.

* * *

***Pronounced as 'Fay'**

**** The spelling for this name is more obvious, but just in case, it's pronounced 'Or-sin' ;)**

**I hope you enjoed it so far! :O Please review! Criticism is okay- just not too much please. .**


	2. Chapter 2: Fairy Tail

**Oh yeah, guys, before you read it, I just wanted to say that I forgot to mention that in this story they moved back to their original building so they're no longer in the mill. ;)**

**Also some of you may have noticed I changed the name of the story. XD That's cause the old title (Secrets in the Shadows) actually didn't really match it...just that at the time I needed to come up with a title quickly and that happened to be on my mind at the moment so...I think you know the rest XD**

**Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me except for the ones in the last chapter. The rest all belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

Lucy rolled her eyes, watching as Natsu and Happy came up with another lame dance to show their guild members. "And you once said that he and I made a good couple," Lucy turned in her seat to face Mirajane, who was busily wiping a plate dry behind the bar counter.

"I still think you two do," She replied, smiling sweetly at Lucy, placing the dry plate down and grabbing another one. She worked on it for a few minutes before speaking again."I mean, he's-"

Lucy shrugged. "Sure, sure," She interrupted as she turned back to watch the two, a smirk eventually appearing on her face because of how ridiculous they looked. _No way I'm going to let Mirajane get to me again._ The celestial mage thought to herself, remembering back to the time when she thought Natsu had liked her. Her cheeks grew hot from remembering how she made such a fool of herself; looking down at the floor as she bit her lips out of embarrassment.

_Not that I'd mind if he did like me..._ Her cheeks grew even hotter. "Ha ha, what are you saying Lucy? You must be crazy to think that!" Lucy's cheeks grew an even deeper shade of red when she thought that, telling herself that she was just being silly. _There's no way he likes you anyway!_

"I didn't know you liked talking to yourself," The scent of alcohol overcame Lucy, looking up just in time to see Cana sling an arm over her shoulders, leaning heavily upon the blonde. Lucy grimaced for a moment, feeling her body lean towards the left.

"Cana..." Lucy struggled to keep her balance on the stool, her left hand pushing against the seat next to her and her right arm trapped in place by the older teen. "Please Cana, you're heavy!"

"Ehh? How rude Lucy!" The brunette pretended to be hurt, her words slurring slightly, her other hand carrying a mug of wine. But she stopped leaning against Lucy; though her arm was still slung tightly around her.

Lucy sighed. "Are you drunk Cana?" She braced herself as Cana took her arm off her right shoulder and began to slap it in a friendly gesture. The blonde winced every time the hand made contact. She knew Cana didn't mean to hurt her, but it still did. Just a little bit though.

"Ha ha, you're funny Lucy! Of course I'm not drunk. What makes you think that?" Cana let out a loud laugh, grabbing Lucy again and pulling her in for a bear hug, giving Lucy her famous 'Cana-grin',* the younger girl's arms pinned to her sides.

_Everything._ Lucy rolled her eyes, but a smile was on her face. Ever since the S-Class Trial, she and Cana had become close friends. She liked the brunette- just that she wished she wouldn't drink so much sometimes. But Lucy knew that would almost be like taking Cana's personality away, since her friend constantly drank. The only time Lucy remembered Cana being sober was during the trial. Other than that, Lucy couldn't think of another time.

"Okay, okay, you're not drunk," Lucy said as she helped Cana into the seat next to her, the teenager losing her footing for a moment before plopping herself into the stool. "Be careful!" The celestial mage gave her friend a stern look, but she frowned when she noticed the card mage wasn't even looking at her.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Cana took another glug of alcohol, using her other hand to wipe her face when she finished. "So, Lucy, why were you talking to yourself earlier?"

Lucy suddenly remembered, turning red again. "Um...well...you see-" The front doors of the guild suddenly swung open, interrupting the blonde, her mouth hanging open in mid sentence as both Cana and her own eyes switched to the entrance. It wasn't only their eyes that had turned to the two doors, but everyone else's as well. Lucy suddenly was conscious of what she was doing and snapped her jaw shut, sighing in relief when she noticed that no was looking at her. She immediately went back to looking at the door, pretending that nothing happened.

At first, no one could see anyone because of the blinding light, only a shadow visible as the person took careful but sure steps. It wasn't until she finally stepped into the guild that everyone was able to see her.

"Who's that?" Lucy glanced at Cana, a little worried that the brunette may have spoken too loudly. The brunette seemed to have lost her drunkenness, her words no longer slurred, her purples eyes slightly narrowed as she watched the mysterious girl.

"Who knows?" Lucy murmured in reply, taking the time to study the girl. She was a pale girl, not as pale as Juvia, who's azure blue eyes swept across the guild, as if searching for something or someone. For a moment, she looked down at her feet, seeming disappointed, and even though she was quite far away, Lucy noticed how her eyes each had a generous amount of eyelashes. Lucy felt self-conscious for a split second, but immediately made herself feel better by telling herself how she herself had larger eyes. **

After her little distraction, Lucy went back to studying the girl, noticing how most of her clothes were the color black. She wore a tight-fitting leather jacket that was pulled down right below her waist, so the skin on her hips were mostly visible. The sleeves of the jacket were pulled back to the elbow, and on her left arm she had a fish net glove that went up to her wrist. She wore short shorts that were accompanied by thigh-high boots that looked as if it added five inches to her height. In the distance between the top of the boots and the bottom of her shorts, she had a belt that was wrapped around her right leg.

The only things she wore that weren't black in color was the blue belt that hung sideways on her shorts, the blue bra that was visible beneath the half-zipped leather jacket, and a small dark green belt that was wrapped around her right bicep over the jacket sleeve. But the most noticeable feature of the teenage girl was her hair. Her straight black hair had at least three blue highlights from what Lucy saw; and she wasn't even sure if she could classify the girl's hair as long or short. On the left side, her hair was shoulder-length, but on the right side, her hair reached down to her waist. The rest of her hair made a gradual slope to reach both ends, and her bangs reminded Lucy of Mirajane's when they weren't tied up in her signature ponytail. ***

But what surprised Lucy even more were the two wolves that flanked her on both sides. On her right was an average-sized wolf that was covered in obsidian black fur, except for the white kite-shaped mark on her forehead. Her two eyes were almost the same color as the girl's, but they were a lighter shade of blue, reminding Lucy of water. On the girl's left side was a massive wolf who's golden coat made him look significant, the thick fur on his neck resembling a mane. His underbelly was a soft white, and Lucy watched as his eyes studied his surroundings, the two bright green orbs slightly narrowed. Personally, Lucy thought the wolf reminded her of a lion.

For a moment, everyone just stood there, staring at the three strangers. "Um..." It was Juvia who broke the silence, who was standing near the entrance already. She took a step closer to the girl, her hands held behind her back, having to look up to meet the girl's eyes. "Do you need anything? Juvia would be happy to help."

The black-haired girl stared at Juvia for a few seconds , blinking, before finally asking, "Who's Juvia?"

"Oh," Juvia laughed nervously, forgetting that strangers wouldn't know her unique way of speaking. "I am Juvia."

The girl stared at her some more. "You talk in third-person?"

Nearby, Gray's eyes narrowed slightly, taking a step closer to Juvia, ready to say anything if she tried to pick a fight. It was at that moment that Lucy realized how tall the girl was. She knew that the girl was wearing around five inch heels, but even with them off she knew she would stand around Gray's height, and maybe even a little taller. Gray noticed this too, and he grimaced, not liking the idea of a girl being taller than him.

"Um...yes..." Juvia finally answered unsurely. It was obvious to Lucy that Juvia felt a little intimidated- not that she blamed her. The girl reminded her a bit of Gajeel, because of the dark colors she wore and the way she gave off a somewhat scary aura. It wasn't only the aura she gave off that was scary, but her look was a little scary as well; with her serious eyes and unsmiling face. Of course she still didn't look as scary as the iron dragon slayer.

The girl stared at her even more before finally saying, "Hm...it's cute."

Everyone glanced at each other for a second and Lucy finally let out her breath, not realizing she was holding it in the first place. She could tell that everyone in the guild were easing up, at first worried that the girl would say something to hurt the water mage. The blonde noticed how that had made the golden wolf grin, his sharp fangs making her shudder slightly.

Juvia's cheeks were slightly flushed. "I-is that so?"

Another second or two passed.

"So...you said you would help me?"

"Y-yes!"

"May you bring the master over? I would like to see him."

Juvia didn't need to though, since Master Makarov was already listening from the second floor. "I'm here," He called out in his gruff voice, jumping down from the second floor to the first with a solid _thump_. The girl stepped back, a small look of bewilderment in her eyes, obviously not expecting that to happen. The black wolf noticed this, glancing up at her with a smile before turning away to the side to laugh lightly. "Do you need anything, young lady?"

She quickly recovered herself before nodding once and bowing down. "My name is Jayra and we would like to join your guild."

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***By the 'famous Cana-grin' I mean the grin where she closes her eyes pretty hard and grins ;) Well, I'm not sure if it's famous but I see her doing it quite a lot so I'm just calling it that ;)**

****In case you wanna know, this new girl's eyes looks like Jenny's from Blue Pegasus. Go to Chapter 279 in the manga for reference. ^^**

***** If you're curious to know where her 'highlights' are, she has one near the center but closer to the right on her bangs, two on her left side, one that is near the base of her skull on the right side, and another one on her right side that would be between the two on the left side if they were on the same side. So five in total. (I hope that wasn't confusing :P It's kinda hard to explain it nicely XD) Also, her hair **_**is not **_**cut in a straight line. (For example...uh...Ultear's first hairstyle would be 'cut in a straight line') It's cut with uneven edges, like what most of the girls in Fairy Tail have. (Uh...hope that made sense too) Ha ha, and one more thing; Go to this link to get a reference for Mirajane's bangs when they're down: .**


	3. Chapter 3: First Impressions are Key

**Hi guys! I hope I didn't make you wait for too long...I was a little busy at school. . **

**Anyways, please review! With so little reviews, I sometimes wonder if anyone is actually reading the story. :-/ And reviews will also motivate me to write more, so please review! But I'll shut up now and let you read. :P**

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Erza watched as Master Makarov, Jayra, and the two wolves entered his office, her eyes slightly narrowed, wondering why they decided to join the guild. _Can they be trusted? What if they actually have a secret motive on why they're here? What if they're a spy for Raven Tail? Who knows what that guild is up to now. _After the Grand Magic Tournament ended, Raven Tail had disappeared back into the shadows without a trace, and Fairy Tail hadn't seen them ever since. Erza's brow furrowed in disgust at the mere thought of the guild, remembering back to the time when they had hurt Wendy.

"Erza-san..." Erza turned to see the girl she just finished thinking about, the young mage's face filled concern and...was that a little bit of fear?

The older woman offered a smile to the her. "Yes Wendy?" _Did I do something?_

"Um...uh...well...I think you shouldn't worry too much about them Erza-san! I mean...well...wolves are a little scary and she looks a little scary as well...but I'm sure they're good! Like Gajeel-san!"

Erza stared at the sky dragon slayer for a few seconds before realizing she must have had a frightening expression on her face. _Wendy's right. I shouldn't be so quick to judge people. It's unfair. _Erza smiled again. "You're right, I shouldn't worry too much."

Wendy let her breath out, relieved. Levy, who sat on her right, placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and offered her a grin. Nearby, Carla rolled her eyes with a smile, finding herself a little amused. Next to her was Lily, who was busily staring at the door with a concentrated look on his face, his tail whipping from side to side as he thought about something. "Interesting..."

"What is it, Lily?" The white she-cat inquired. Everyone turned their gaze to the black Exceed.

"Dire wolves..."*

"Dire wolves?" This time it was Erza who spoke. "You mean...those wolves?" She pointed at the door where the canines had entered earlier. Levy's eyes widened for a moment and she sat back, her hand on her chin as she entered a state of deep concentration.

"Yes...dire wolves...they aren't the same as regular wolves. They possess the ability to use some magic like the Exceeds. Except unlike us, they possess more magical power and can have different types, like humans. However, their magical capacity can never be as strong as powerful mages like Master and Gildarts. I don't think they can even reach the same level where Wendy is at," Lily's brow furrowed. "If I'm correct, they are from Edolas as well."

"Edolas?" Carla jolted once, her eyes wide. "H-how come I've never heard of them before?"

"Unlike the Exceeds, they tried to hide their presence from the humans since they believed it was too troublesome to get involved. I believe they stayed hidden in the deep parts of the forest. I've never seen one before, but I've heard of them back when I was a commander for King Faust."

"Then how do you know if they really are dire wolves? It's not like we've seen them use magic or anything yet," The white cat she-cat briefly looked at the door before staring at Lily expectantly, an unconvinced look on her face.

"They can talk."

Wendy, Erza, and Carla glanced at each other, a little confused. "But none of them spoke yet..." Erza pointed out, Wendy giving Lily an apologetic look and Carla giving him a small frown. Levy was still off to one side, thinking.

"But one of them laughed. Remember when Master Makarov jumped down and surprised Jayra? The black one laughed. A normal wolf wouldn't be able to do that, so it must be a dire wolf. And why would a regular wolf follow a human? Yes, it's possible, but it's pretty unlikely since they are not tamed creatures. On the other hand, a dire wolf following a human would be more like two friends traveling together. And when Jayra asked to join the guild, she said _we _instead of _I._ If they were normal wolves, she would most likely say 'I' instead of 'we' because they wouldn't have the conscious of joining the guild, and instead just be conscious of following their owner. But since they're not, they're also aware that they're joining the guild."

Erza nodded slowly, taking the information in. Once again, she was impressed with the black Exceed. Despite being a cat, he seemed to know much more information than the average person, and was pretty observant as well. "Dire wolves...I see... When the Anima sucked all the magic back here, they probably came along just like the Exceeds."

Lily nodded exactly three times. "Yes, that must be right. That also means there must be more of them somewhere out there."

"I remember now!" Everyone turned to Levy, who had jumped out of her seat in excitement, earning a few stares from other tables. Her greenish-brown eyes were wide with excitement, her two hands pressing down on the table. After a while, she finally seemed to realize her sudden outburst and slowly sank back into her seat, her cheeks red with embarrassment. "U-uh...well...anyways..." Levy scratched her head with an apologetic grin.

"Yes...?" Carla pressed. She was getting impatient, and the fact that Levy was taking her sweet time wasn't helping.

The blue-haired mage turned to Lily, one arm pointing at the door the new members had just entered. "You said that those wolves are dire wolves, right?"

The black Exceed nodded slowly, unsure of where the conversation was going.

"You see, I remembering reading a book about them once!" Levy dropped her arm and turned to the others with a somewhat intense look on her face. Wendy leaned back, a little worried, while Erza leaned forward, nodding a few times. Carla just stayed where she was.

"Dire wolves, an ancient species of wolf that was thought to hold magical powers, though whether they did or not was never proven. One day, they disappeared on the face of Earth and were never seen again," Levy sounded as if she was reciting something- perhaps the book she had read. The bookworm grabbed Lily excitedly. "And you know what Lily?" Shake, shake. "That must be because one day a large Anima sucked them into Edolas!" More shaking. "And it wasn't until seven years ago that they were finally able to come back!" Levy finally let the cat go, and he fell to the table, finding it hard to regain his balance after being shaken so hard.

"Wait...so you're saying that those wolves were originally Earthlanders?" Carla asked, her eyes were narrowed, still not quite believing Lily and Levy's sudden theories.

Levy nodded excitedly.

Carla frowned. "And what makes you so sure that you're right? Remember, we still don't know if they can even use magic!" The white she-cat crossed her arms, her tail flicking around indignantly.

"Well...that's true..." Levy smiled half-heartedly, the excited glimmer dying from her eyes. "Well, I guess we just have to wait and see."

Wendy moved closer to her friend, placing her left arm on Levy's right one. "I'm sure you're right Levy!" She comforted the older mage. "Don't listen to Carla!" Carla pouted, causing Levy to laugh lightly. Erza opened her mouth to speak just as the sound of an opening door filled the guild; and Lily noticed how it was deadly quiet as the master and the three strangers exited the office. Everyone's eyes were on them, waiting for the master to speak.

The master had a toothy grin on his face, his arm outstretched towards the three, his hand opened up in the gesture used for showing something. "Everyone! Please welcome our three new members of Fairy Tail!" He waited for the applause and congratulations to cease before continuing. "Please take good care of them! " His eyes scanned the guild briefly. "Erza! I want you to show them around!"

"Of course, Master," The female warrior stood up from the table she was sitting at, the sound of clinking metal made from her armor, eyes following the teen. She began to walk towards the newcomers, stretching her hand out towards the blue and black haired girl when she was about two feet away from her. "I'm Erza Scarlet."

Jayra nodded once. "Jayra Erebosta," ** She grabbed Erza's hand and for a moment, the two women stared at each other, moving their hands up and down.

_She's pretty tall._ Erza noticed, needing to look up before being able to meet her eyes. But a glance down at her feet told the red-haired warrior that part of the reason was because of the shoes the newbie wore.

The black wolf stepped forward and Erza's eyes followed her movement, meeting the canine's gaze. "My name is Faia."

Right after she spoke, whispers were heard from around the guild, and a small frown on appeared on Erza's face. She turned to look at the others, watching as many mouths began to move, a disapproving look on her face.

"Hey, the wolf can talk!"

"Wait...so that means they're not normal wolves?"

"Are they like Happy, Carla, and Lily? But wolf versions instead?"

"I wonder why they're with that girl..."

"That's so awesome!"

"Wait...I'm confused..."

Erza thought she felt a vein pop somewhere. "E-excuse me for my guildmates' r-rude behavior," Her voice trembled slightly from the anger she was trying to keep in. "I promise they don't mean anything much," She gritted her teeth.

Faia laughed lightly, her blue eyes twinkling as she glanced at the other guild members at the tables. "No harm done," She gave Erza a friendly smile. The female knight immediately decided she liked the dark colored she-wolf.

"Trust me, we had it worse," The golden wolf stepped up, giving Erza a wink before padding over by the she-wolf's side, his green eyes sparkling. "I'm Orsan by the way. Nice to meet you," Another wink.

"Of course," Erza replied, giving them a polite smile. _The wolves seem more talkative than the girl..._ "Follow me, I'll show you around the guild," She said as she turned on her heels, beginning to make her way towards the stairs. "This is the main area if you haven't noticed yet. Most of the time we just hang out or eat here. If you want to start a mission, the..." Erza trailed off when she noticed that Jayra wasn't even listening, the black and blue haired teen looking elsewhere. For a moment, the powerful mage felt herself getting annoyed, an unamused look on her face. _I'm talking to her yet she isn't listening! _She placed her hands on her hips, a stern look on her face as she waited for the teen to look up. Erza felt more annoyed when she didn't, causing Faia to glance worriedly at Orsan, the larger wolf grimacing.

"Ja-" Erza began before stopping herself, noticing the expression in the girl's eyes. Her eyes softened, her hands left her hips, and her mouth formed a sad smile. The look Jayra had was the most sorrowful one the red-haired warrior had seen in a long time, and she felt a small tug on her heart. _She carries pain just like the rest of us. She'll fit right in with us. _"Jayra," This time she said it gently, giving the other girl an encouraging smile when she looked up, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Brown eyes met blue ones and the two stared at each other for a while again. Jayra was the first to look away, looking down at her shoes before looking up again to meet the S-Class mage's eyes.

And then she smiled. It was a small smile, barely there, and the melancholic look in her eyes were still present. But it was still a smile; the first smile she made since joining. Most newcomers had a smile the moment they entered the building. But Jayra didn't, and that was the reason why Erza had conjured false accusations at her. _But now..._ Erza stared at the taller mage for a while, warmth spreading in her chest. She didn't know why, but the mere smile made her feel as if she were rewarded, and a light laugh sounded from her. Erza removed her hand from Jayra's shoulder, turning away towards the direction they were going, her head over her shoulder so she could still look at the other mage.

"Come on, let's continue."

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***In case you didn't know, dire wolves are actually real creatures that existed. :3 **

****Justa let you guys know, Erebos is the Greek God of shadows ;) That already tells you a little something about her, no? XD**

**Well, hope you liked it! And again, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Hostilities & Jayra's Profile

**I hope I didn't make you guys wait too long. . I kinda got caught up in this certain anime called Hakuouki...you guys should try it out! :D It's really good ^^ (To me anyways.) But you must be prepared for sadness if you're gonna watch it!**

**Anyways, I'll see if I can update the chapter quicker next time, though it might be harder for me since school is getting busier. :-/ (It's getting near the end.) But once school ends, I'll definitely have more time to write so please just wait til then! ;)**

**So anyways, here's the chapter!**

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Lucy was sitting at a table with Natsu, Gray, Erza, Juvia, and Wendy; a small frown on her face as she watched the newest member, who was sitting at a table far away from them. She was smiling at something Orsan had just said, the golden wolf receiving a hit from Faia's tail, the she-wolf rolling her eyes as she opened her mouth to say something. _She __**never**__ smiles except for when she's with them._ The blonde mage thought with a disapproving glare at Jayra. _She joins a guild but she doesn't talk to anyone unless they talk to her. And why does she always have this constant emotionless look when she's with others?_

"She's not very social, is she?" Lucy said aloud, only the small group at her table able to hear her.

"Shhh!" Wendy immediately placed a single finger at her mouth. "She might hear!" She whispered worriedly, the young girl glancing at Jayra before turning back to Lucy, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Yes, it's true she's a little untalkative and she doesn't hang out with anyone but the wolves, but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing," Erza countered slowly as she gazed at Jayra. "Besides, I was the same when I just joined. But even worse, since I didn't talk to anyone at all."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. She didn't know why but the red-haired mage was always quick to defend the newbie, as if she was a lot closer to her than the others. True, while most of the members kind of avoided the newcomer, Erza was the only one who actually took the time to talk with her every once in a while_. But I still doubt that Erza was able to progress their friendship._ "That's true, but that was when you were only 8 years old! She's 17! She shouldn't be acting this way!"

"Jeez," Gray rolled his eyes. "Why do you _care_ so much?" His chin was in his hand as his elbow leaned on the table, his other hand drawing lazy patterns on the surface. "It's not like she's doing anything bad to you or something," Juvia, who was on his left, was gazing worriedly at Lucy, glancing at the new member from time to time. It seemed liked the water mage wanted to say something, but decided against it in the end.

Lucy glared at the ice mage before turning away, not replying. Actually, Lucy herself had no idea why it annoyed her so much; it just did. And the fact that she didn't know why it annoyed her annoyed her as well. It was like an ongoing circle of annoyance; which didn't please Lucy at all.

It was already the girl's fourth day since joining Fairy Tail. Not even once in those four days did she ever talk to somebody else unless they said something first. Lucy had tried making a conversation with her two days ago, but failed miserably. The mere memory of it pissed the mage off to no end.

_"Hey...can I sit here?" Lucy's left hand was behind her back while her right hand pointed at the seat next to Jayra, the dark-haired girl looking up to study Lucy. She said nothing at first, turning away to look at the table before saying a simple 'sure'. "I'm Lucy," The blonde greeted herself, earning a nod from Jayra. For some reason, the two wolves weren't by Jayra for once; and frankly the only reason why Lucy decided to go up to the newbie in the first place was because of their absence. Though she knew they weren't normal wolves, she still couldn't help but feel a little uneasy around them._

_Lucy glanced around unsurely, already feeling the awkward mood, slowly lowering herself to the seat. "Umm..." She began, glancing at the mage, searching for a topic to talk about. "So...um...where did you decide to put the guild emblem?"_

_Jayra looked down at her body before turning to face the celestial mage, pointing at the right side of her chest, right below her collar bone. "Here," Instead of seeing a blue Fairy Tail symbol like what Lucy was expecting, she saw a dark green one; the same green as the small belt on the girl's right bicep.*_

_"Oh! That's a nice place to put it! Mine's over here," Lucy pointed to the pink symbol on the back of her hand, offering Jayra a bright cheery smile. All she got in return was a quick nod. Once again, the girl turned away, leaving Lucy feeling more awkward than before._

_"Uh...so Jayra...how old are you?"_

_"17," Jayra glanced at Lucy again. "I turned 17 a few weeks ago."_

_"Oh really? I'm 17 too! Though I'm older than you since I've been 17 for quite some time. Oh, and happy late birthday!"_

_"Thanks."_

_Another awkward silence._

_"Um..so...well...I guess I'll be going...heh heh heh..." Lucy said as she got up slowly, a slightly pained expression on her face. When the other girl just nodded again without looking at her, Lucy scowled, turning away from her and stomping towards Natsu and the others._

"Seriously though? Why is she like that? Is it that hard to just talk to others? It's not like we're gonna kill her or anything," Lucy ranted on. "When I talked to her, she acted like I was an annoying-"

Lucy shut up when the red-haired knight in front of her abruptly stood up, the chair falling to the ground as she glared at the celestial mage. ** Lucy could have swore the whole guild shut up with her.

"Enough! So maybe you don't like her, or maybe you do. But that doesn't matter. What _does_ matter is the fact that you are speaking poorly of her! Though she only joined a few days ago, she is still our nakama, and I will not tolerate you speaking ill of her!" All Lucy saw was a whirl of red hair as Erza left the table, joining another group instead.

Wendy got up, a look of concern on her face. "Don't worry Lucy, I'll talk with Erza for you!" The young girl promised before following the same trail the female knight had went. Slowly, the sound of voices began again, until the guild was back to the way it was before.

This time, Natsu stood up, shaking his head disappointedly, not meeting Lucy's eyes. "Natsu..."The blonde begged, watching as he left the group as well. Gray left not too long after. Only Juvia sat there, the two teenagers looking down at the table in silence. Finally, the water mage spoke. "Juvia thinks Erza is right, it is wrong to speak badly of friends," She stood up, Lucy lifting her head to meet her eyes, the blonde feeling hurt from being rejected by all her friends. "But don't worry Lucy-san! Juvia is still your friend!" Then she left as well- though Lucy had a feeling she left just because she wanted to stay with Gray.

Lucy groaned, placing her arms on the table and hiding her head in them. She felt horrible- not just because her friends had left her, but also because she felt incredibly guilty. Erza _was _right. _Yes, Jayra isn't very talkative at all but there must be a reason why! Something bad may have happened to her, and I must have made her feel worse by being so mean to her. _Lucy banged her head on her table, as if she was punishing herself. _You are so stupid Lucy! Why did I act that way? It isn't like me at all!_

Lucy looked up when she heard the sound of someone sitting across from her, and immediately looked away when she realized it was Jayra herself, unable to meet the younger teen's eyes. "Look...um...I...I-"

"Don't worry," Lucy turned back to the other girl, her eyes slightly wider when she was interrupted. "I understand," The black and blue haired mage continued. "I haven't been very polite so far, have I? I can't blame you for disliking that part of me, cause anyone would hate that. So I apologize," This time, Jayra looked down instead, a solemn look in her eyes, her two hands clasped together on her lap.

Lucy's eyes grew even wider. "No, no! I was the wrong one here! It was really rude of me to speak badly of you..." Lucy looked away uncomfortably. "I'm really sorry...I...I really didn't mean it...I was just...annoyed."

Lucy glanced back at Jayra just in time to see the younger mage offer her a ghost of a smile. Lucy paused for a moment. _Did I just see what I thought I saw..._ "So yes...I apologize..."

"It's nothing," Jayra offered a larger smile, and this time Lucy was absolutely sure that her eyes weren't deceiving her.

_She smiled! _Lucy began to feel a glow in her heart, feeling warmed at the sight of the girl smiling at _her_ rather than at the wolves . She pressed a hand against her temple, trying to hide her smile from Jayra, watching as she began to play around with a coin that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Lucy didn't know why, but seeing Jayra smile made all her ill-thoughts of the newcomer disappear into thin air, never to be found again. The celestial mage grinned, dropping her hand to her lap as she studied Jayra for the second time since she joined the guild. _I guess she isn't that bad...all I needed to give her was a second chance._

Lucy jumped a little out of her seat when the coin Jayra was playing with crashed into the table, making a loud clinking noise. The other girl quickly apologized, swiftly taking the coin to play with again, an amused smile on Lucy's face.

_Wait..._ Lucy leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she began to study the coin. It was made with a dark metal, almost black, and was about the size of a cherry. One side of it had nothing on it, while the other carried a sinister looking pattern that made Lucy think of something powerful overcoming something weaker. It had dark tendrils curling and surrounding a larger object that looked like a tree; though whether it was one or not was unknown since most of it was hidden beneath the curling mass of tendrils. Around the creepy picture were words that Lucy couldn't read, the blonde realizing they were in some ancient language. ***

_That coin..._Lucy stared at it some more, her mind working. _Why does it look so familiar...was it in a book? Did I see it out in the streets? Did I see it while on a job?_ She thought about for a long time before finally deciding to ask Jayra herself. "Jayra...where did you get that?"

The dark haired girl looked up, her eyes blinking a few times before holding up the coin in the air. "Do you mean this?" Jayra's eyes switched over to the coin, and she studied it herself before turning to Lucy again. "I...I actually have no idea...I had it since I was small...I guess you can say that it has always been a part of me."

A slight shudder passed through Lucy at the thought of such a creepy item being part of Jayra, but she pushed the feeling away, placing a smile on her face. "Oh really...? That's interesting."

Jayra smiled for the third time since talking to Lucy, the blonde not noticing when the dark haired teen got up to leave. "Well...I'll be going...I still need to settle down back at Fairy Hills," Lucy's head whipped up, suddenly aware of what was going on. She watched as Jayra waved the two wolves over before turning to Lucy again.

"Y-yes, of course! Then...I'll see you tomorrow I guess?" Jayra nodded once, lifting her hand up to wave to Lucy before exiting the building with the two wolves by her side. Right before leaving, Orsan stopped, turning his head back to meet Lucy's eyes. The two stared at each other for a moment before the massive wolf finally winked at her, a grin on his lips as bounded after the two. Lucy blinked a few times, a little surprised at the wolf's actions, but slightly amused at the same time, her lips twitching into a smile.

But despite the little distraction Orsan caused, Lucy's mind kept on returning back to the strange design on Jayra's coin, the blonde's eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration before realizing what she was doing. _Ah! Lucy! Don't think too much about it! Even though I've seen it somewhere before, it was probably just out on the streets; some common design that you could find anywhere. So that means it probably wasn't anything._ Lucy told herself, forcing the creepy picture out of her head. The blonde mage stood up, leaving the now empty table, a smile appearing on her face.

_Yes, that's right. It probably wasn't anything._

* * *

**Name:** Jayra Erebosta  
**Gender:** Female  
**Age:** 17  
**Guild:** Fairy Tail  
**Magic:** Shadow  
**Race:** Human  
**Partners**(From the past and present)**:** Lucas, Faia, Orsan  
**Main Partner:** Faia  
**Appearance:** A tall mage who gives off a somewhat intimidating aura due to her usual serious look. The left side of her hair is only shoulder length while the right side reaches down to her waist. Her bangs lay softly over her forehead, and in total she has five blue highlights among her black hair. Her blue eyes are the same shade as her blue hair. (And her hair color is natural :P)  
**Clothes:** (First Outfit) She wears a black leather jacket that is only half zipped, with the sleeves pushed back to the elbows. On her left arm she has a fish net glove that reaches up to her wrist while she has a small green belt wrapped over her jacket on her right bicep. Her short shorts are black as well, along with her five inch thigh high boots. The belt that's around her right leg between the bottom of the shorts and the top of her boots is black too. However, the bra under her jacket and the belt that hangs sideways on her hip are a light blue.  
**Personality:** Usually seen as quiet and brooding, especially since recently a lot was on her mind. Though it is true that she doesn't talk too much, she's actually pretty friendly once you get to know her. She's rather understanding and can usually see a person's true emotions, so it's hard to hide something from her- especially since she's observant as well. She always tells herself to be strong, to the point that she forces herself to become someone else, when in truth she is a rather fragile person. She doesn't carry much self-respect for herself, and has low confidence in her magic, disagreeing when others compliment her. She also isn't the best with words, and sometimes finds others misunderstanding her. Jayra also always tries to do everything by herself, never asking for help when sometimes it's the only thing she actually needs.  
**History:** To be revealed later. :P  
**Fun Facts:** Has a fear of being alone; Secretly enjoys being taller than others, especially boys; Doesn't smile a lot; Likes cute things.

* * *

***It's like where Evergreen placed hers. ;) But a little more up.**

****I kinda realized that at the guild they have benches instead of chairs...but I made it a chair instead to kinda emphasize the point Erza was making. :3 And to make it more 'dramatic' :P XD**

*****Okay, so maybe that picture sounds lame rather than creepy, so please just try to imagine it in a way that would make it creepy. I'll leave your imaginations up to that. ;)**

**Well, I hope you guys liked it. :3 It might be a little slow...but I promise you that in the next chapter something will happen. ;)**

**Please be patient with me though... Since I don't want to make this story too fast, some may find that it progresses rather slowly...I just hope that it wouldn't be too slow for any one's liking. :-/**

**And one more thing...please review! ;)**


	5. Chapter 5: First Mission

**Ugh...I feel awful for taking such a long time before finally being able to post this chapter. . I'm sorry...but I really did have a lot of work. :-/ It might take some time for me to post the next chapter as well. . I might have to do another one of those profile things if it takes too long again. Well...at least this chapter is a little longer than the previous ones.** **But then**** I feel like I rushed a little in this chapter, so hopefully you all will still find it to your liking. :-/ **

**Anyways, please enjoy! ;)**

* * *

"Lucy, I would like you to accompany Jayra, Faia, and Orsan on their first mission."

Lucy's eyes widened as she gazed into the master's eyes, his look completely serious as she pointed to herself in disbelief. "Wait...me?" She was in the office of the master, who had just pulled her out from the main area not too long ago. Everyone had forgotten how the celestial mage had bad-mouthed the newest member after the two made up, and Natsu and the others had welcomed her with open arms when she told them how she was wrong.

She was hanging out with them when Master Makarov told her to follow him to his office. And now Lucy stood with eyes full of doubt, not sure if she heard the master correctly.

"Yes, you," He confirmed, a single eyebrow raised as he watched Lucy's expression change from disbelief to shock.

"Wait...why me? Not that I really mind...but... why me?" Despite the fact that she and Jayra had come to a mutual understanding, the blonde was still a little nervous around the teen, since the fact that she had spoken badly of her still remained. She knew that Jayra told her that she didn't mind, but Lucy was still unsure if she was speaking the truth. "Wouldn't Erza be more suitable? She's stronger and she gets along with her better."

Master Makarov shook his head slowly. "That may be true, but Jayra's starting to warm up to you, right? She doesn't talk a lot, and I'm a little afraid that she'll stay that way for a long time. Since she already gets along just fine with Erza, I'm picking you instead to accompany her. You're both starting to get to know each other a little better, so I want to take advantage of this mission and strengthen Jayra's friendship with you. And then later she may open up more and make more friends. Besides, this mission shouldn't require much strength."

Lucy began to nod slowly, understanding the Master's reasoning. "I guess..." She trailed off, her eyes drifting off to the side, a small frown on her face as she began to think. Her eyes suddenly focused again, eyes slightly narrowed in determination as she returned the Master's gaze. "Okay, I'll do it!"

Master Makarov grinned, a bright glint in his eyes. "I knew I could count on you," He turned around, walking over to his desk, taking a sheet of paper off before returning to Lucy. "This is the mission. It shouldn't be anything the two of you can't handle."

The celestial mage took the sheet from the master, the large title immediately catching her eyes. '**ILLEGAL MARKETING!**' A single eyebrow raised in curiosity as she read on, the teen feeling somewhat relieved that the mission didn't sound too difficult. "In Hargeon Town, some mages have been selling goods illegally. Catch them and turn them in to the police! More information once you get here. 100,000 Jewels." *

Lucy's face broke out into a grin. "Hargeon Town, that brings back memories! And 100,000 Jewels! I'll be able to pay for the rest of my rent with 50,000!" Her excited eyes left the paper to glance at the Master, who was obviously pleased to see the mage so enthusiastic. She waved the paper in the air, starting to make her way towards the exit. "I'll tell Jayra about it! We'll leave first thing tomorrow!"

Master Makarov raised his hand to show he heard, and the celestial mage left, the door making a muffled 'thump' as it closed. The master turned around, facing his desk, a sigh escaping his lips. "How good it is to be young..."

**-XXXXX-**

Lucy stood inside of the train station, eyes darting around to search for the familiar black and blue hair of Jayra. The celestial mage felt a little nervous since it was the first time the master specifically selected her for a mission, and had arrived ten minutes earlier than the scheduled time that she and Jayra had agreed on. Glancing up at the clock above her, Lucy read '9:28'. _She should be here any minute._

"Lucy."

Lucy turned to see Jayra approaching her, her outfit a little altered than what she wore yesterday. Her shorts and accessories were all still there, but her shoes and torso were different. Instead of her bra and jacket, she wore a plain blue tank top, and had switched her high-heeled boots for a pair of black sneakers. ** Because of the different shoes, Jayra no longer towered over the blonde mage, though she still held a good amount of height over her head.

_Hm...she only wears black and blue, doesn't she?_ Lucy's eyes wandered over to the small belt around the teen's right bicep. _And a little bit of green._

"Orsan and Faia will be here soon. They ran into a little bit of trouble, so they told me to come here first."

Lucy froze. She had completely forgotten about the two wolves. The other day, when Lucy mentioned her discomfort around them to Levy, the script mage had told her how they were dire wolves rather than regular wolves. But even though she knew this, she couldn't help but still feel a little fearful about them."O-oh...is that so?" Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Jayra give her a sideways glance, one eyebrow arched up in curiousity.

"Are you scared of them?"

Lucy whipped her head towards the teen, her mouth opened in shock. _How'd she know?_ "U-um...i-it's not like that...it's just that...wolves..." She scratched her head. "Well...I've never..you know..."Lucy stopped when she noticed Jayra's smile, who looked as if she was holding back a laugh.

"They get that a lot," Jayra closed her eyes tightly as she smiled again, as if she was reminiscencing a fond memory. "Don't worry. They really aren't bad, I promise...but you don't want to let Orsan find out that you're scared of them. He likes to tease others. Faia, on the other hand, is a sweetheart."

Lucy gazed curiously at Jayra's face, noticing the soft, fond glint in her eyes as she spoke of the wolves. _She really does love them, _she thought warmly as she shared a small chuckle with herself. _Maybe I'll find myself liking them a lot too..._

"There you are!" The two girls turned to find Faia and Orsan bounding towards them, people backing away cautiously as the wolves got near them. The two slowed to a halt as they got closer, the golden wolf approaching Lucy. The blonde mage took a step back as Orsan stepped forward again, feeling her heart beat nervously. _But that can only happen if I can get over my fear of them first, _she finished her thought, a dejected smile appearing when she realized it was going to take some time.

Orsan gazed at her curiously before sitting back on his haunches. "We never really greeted ourselves properly, did we?" A sideways smile was on his muzzle and the glint in his eyes hinted that he was amused by something. He beckoned Faia over with his tail, the she-wolf taking delicate steps before seating herself beside Orsan, offering a kind smile to Lucy. The obsidian wolf shot the larger wolf a knowing glare, who just smirked as he turned back to Lucy. "I'm Orsan."

Lucy nodded nervously, her fingers clasping and unclasping behind her back. "Y-yes...I'm Lucy! Lucy Heartifilia!" Though she said this with a cheerful smile, inside she felt wary and uncomfortable. _Please...not too close..._

Faia laughed politely, leaning forward and pushing at Orsan's side, trying to get the golden wolf to back away from Lucy. "I'm Faia. It's nice to meet you," She gave Lucy a friendly smile, her two blue eyes bright and cheery. Lucy couldn't help but smile at her actions, a small giggle escaping her lips. _Jayra's right...Faia __**does**__ seem like a sweetheart. Orsan on the other hand..._ The celestial mage flinched when she noticed the massive wolf eying her, feeling pressured under his glare. _And it doesn't help that he's really big._

Jayra glanced from Orsan to Lucy to Faia, one eyebrow arched up in amusement. "Okay guys, the introductions are done so let's get going," A light laugh was heard in her voice, and Lucy's surprised gaze switched over to the teen, watching her back get smaller and smaller as she headed towards the train, Orsan following after her.

Faia stepped over by Lucy's side, a soft smile on her face, her eyes also on Jayra. "Doesn't it make you feel better whenever you see her smile or laugh?" The she-wolf laughed lightly, a touch of sadness present in it, her tail hanging down dejectedly. Lucy looked down at her, feeling curiousity and concern at the same time, wondering what was wrong. "I wonder why...maybe it's because she looks so sad most of the time...?" Faia's gaze dropped down to the ground for a while before finally looking up, heading towards the train as well. She stopped halfway, her head over her shoulder as she gazed at Lucy, a smile on her face. "Let's go, they're waiting for us."

"Okay..." Lucy followed the she-wolf, her heart feeling heavy as she gazed at the back of Faia's head. _Faia..._

**-XXXXX-**

A few hours ago, the four had finally reached Hargeon, and now they prowled the streets after speaking to the mayor of the city. They were told that there were a group of four mages who sold items they looted from homes, switching their location of selling every single time. Because the criminals knew magic, the police around the area were unable to help, leaving the city with no other choice but to hire others who knew magic as well.

"Hey Jayra, I think you already know what type of magic I use, but I don't think I was ever told what kind you use," Lucy glanced at her companion as they walked down a street where many groceries were sold, the celestial mage needing to step over fallen produce every now and then.

Jayra thought for a moment. "Hm...that's right...only the master knows what type I use," She suddenly came to a sharp halt, gazing into a dark alleyway, her blue eyes unblinking. It wasn't until she started walking again that she continued speaking. "I use shadow magic."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Shadow? Isn't that like Rogue from Sabertooth?" ***

"Rogue...Sabertooth...Oh, him? Yeah...I guess you can say that. The difference though is that he's a dragon slayer instead so the moves that we have are pretty different," Jayra frowned as she thought for a while, her head turning to Lucy. "Do all dragon slayers have similar moves?"

Lucy thought back to the moves that Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel used, nodding her head a few times. "Yep, a lot of the moves are similar, just with different elements. But they still have their own unique ones."

"Oh really?" The two walked on in silence, Faia and Orsan in front, carving a path for them. Lucy spotted the golden wolf eying her out of the corner of his eye, and immediately averted her eyes, pretending to be occupied in studying an orange on the ground. She grimaced when she heard him chuckle, noticing a shadow on the ground approaching her. Looking up, she groaned inwardly when she found out it was the wolf himself.

"So you're gonna ask Jayra what type of magic she uses but you're not gonna ask me?" Orsan pretended to look hurt, but his green eyes gleamed mischeivously. Lucy glanced down sideways at the wolf, for the first time noticing where his guild stamp was. It was bright green, like the color of his eyes, and was located on his left shoulder, part of the mark hidden by his thick fur. Lucy glanced over at Faia, noticing how hers was blue in color and on her right haunch instead. Turning back to Orsan, she was just about to speak when Orsan interrupted her. "Just kidding. You don't need to ask me," And with that, he padded ahead over by Faia's side, a few feet in front of the celestial mage.

_A-actually...I wanna know..._ She gazed after the wolf, a defeated but amused smile on her face, dropping the hand that was outstretched towards him. _Oh well...I don't really feel like asking himself. _The celestial mage came to a halt when she noticed Jayra was no longer beside her, seeing her a few steps behind, once again staring into a dark alleyway.

"What is it?" The blonde teen circled back, standing beside the shadow mage, peering into the alleyway as well, notcing how people kept on exiting and entering it. Lucy thought she spotted a rug laid on the cement floor with many items on top of it, and her brown eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Do you think...?"

Jayra nodded once. "Faia, Orsan!" She called, and the two wolves suddenly noticed how far ahead they were. They immediately bounded towards the two teens, Jayra beginning to make her way towards the location with Lucy trailing unsurely behind her.

"Thought so," Lucy heard the teen mutter, the blonde mage peering over her shoulder to look at the scene. Sure enough, what Lucy thought she had seen earlier was there in plain sight. Four mages clothed in black hooded cloaks sat behind several large mats on the floor, every so often reaching out to a customer to receive their payment. The items before them ranged in variety from books to neatly carved figurines, just a huge mass on the ground.

Lucy crossed her arms, a large frown on her face. _Damn bastards...making money out of others' belongings! _ The celestial wizard tippy-toed until her mouth was next to Jayra's ear before telling her her plan. "Jayra, us two should confront the wizards while Faia and Orsan should drive the customers out."

The dark-haired teen nodded once, conveying the message to the two dire wolves before returning to Lucy's side, the two mages standing off to the side while the canines got to work. After a while, the targets were finally aware of what was going on, one pulling back their hood to see better. He had short, orange hair, his narrowed eyes a sharp blue. "What's going on?" He turned his head, spotting Lucy and Jayra; Lucy with her hands on her hips and Jayra with her back against the wall and her arms crossed. He stood up abruptly, disturbing a nearby vase, and opened his mouth to speak. However, Lucy beat him to it.

"Stealing from the innocent and then selling their stuff...how low could you get?" A disgusted expression was on the celestial mage's face, her nosed upturned and wrinkled to gaze at him in a condescending manner. Jayra beside her stopped leaning against the wall, standing beside her comrade to back her up. A chorus of snorts were heard from the illegal merchants, the other three beginning to push themselves up to their feet.

The orange-haired boy held out a single hand, telling the others to back away. "Stop, I can handle this alone," He crossed his arms and copied Lucy's expression, purposely trying to provoke her; his hand beckoning at her the way a owner would to their dog. "Come at me, bitch."

"You don't have to tell me," An evil grin was on the blonde's face, her hand reaching down to the small pouch on her hip, skillfully whipping out a single key. "Open! Gate of the-" She stopped when her rival suddenly fell to the ground, Lucy blinking blankly a few times at him in confusement. "Um...what happened...?"

"I stole his shadow."

Lucy side-glanced at her partner with a puzzled face. "You what?"

"I stole his shadow," Jayra repeated patiently, her right arm outstretched towards the mage; Faia watching from the sidelines with a smile on her face. "Stealing someone's shadow is like taking a part of them away, so it weakens them a lot. The weaker and more unaware a mage is, the easier it is to take it."

A 'tch' was heard from the fallen mage, the boy weakly raising his head with a furious scowl on his face. "Damn you...give it back to me!" When Jayra didn't reply, the sound of restrained laughter was heard from the other mages, the orange-haired boy's scowl deepening.

"Well...it can't be helped, can it? " A womanly voice was heard from one of the others, the mage pulling back her hood as she stood up to reveal herself. Her even, purple hair was shoulder-length, her bangs brushed carelessly to the right. Her black eyes carried a smirk in them, her smile crooked in a lofty manner. "You fool...telling us how your magic works," She shook her head slowly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Looks like I'll have to-"

"Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!" **** The familiar celestial spirit sprung out of his gate and immediately launched an attack on the purple-haired mage, a surprised shout heard from her as she fell to the ground as well.

The other two wizards seemed to realize how tough Lucy and Jayra were, and immediately sprang up to join the fight. The last two were boys like the first one, one with brown hair and green eyes and the other with red hair and black eyes. The brown-haired one went for Lucy while the red-haired one went for Jayra, both beginning to spell out their attacks. However, Loke easily defeated the one that tried to attack Lucy in one hit, while Jayra side-stepped the red-haired one's smoke attack; immediately shooting out shadowy tendrils with her free hand to trap him.

A laugh was heard from across the alley, and Lucy looked up to see a certain golden wolf approaching them. "Is that it? Really? These guys are so weak," Orsan laughed aloud again, his bright green eyes gleaming devilishly. "All that's left is to turn them in," The purple-haired girl growled, beginning to pull herself back to her feet, only to be hit once again by Loke. "Of course we'll have to knock them unconcious first."

Loke flashed a demonic smile, cracking his knuckles. "Leave it to me," He went up to each of the four mages, sending a strong punch to their stomachs, knocking them out cold. The celestial mage placed two of the unconcious bodies on each shoulder before turning to Lucy, giving her a small bow. "Well, Lucy, it was nice to help you. Don't ever forget that I'll always be there to help you when you're in a pinch," He winked, beginning to walk off. "So farewell for now, my love. I'll be putting these guys in their right places," And with that, he exited the alley and entered into the main streets.

Lucy stared after him, starting when she realized that Orsan was next to her, a smirk on his face. "My love...?" He echoed, obviously holding back a laugh.

Lucy blushed, turning away from the wolf to hide it. "He's just being silly. He already has a lover."

"Mm..hm..." Lucy only blushed even more when she realized how unconvinced he sounded.

A light laugh was heard from Faia, the she-wolf bounding over to Lucy. "Well, that ended a lot quicker than we expected, didn't it? I guess the master really didn't want to overwhelm Jayra on her first job," She smiled, gazing after her best friend, who was staring at the pile of goods before her.

"We need to give these to the mayor so he could decide what to do with them, don't we?" The black and blue haired teen crouched down, grabbing the two ends of a rug and picking it up, all the items falling in towards the center. A quiet 'clang' was heard and the shadow mage looked down at the floor to see that she had dropped something. "Whoops..." Placing the rug back down on the floor she leaned down to grab the expensive looking metal spoon that had fell. The silver spoon was trimmed with a golden edge, a pattern of roses etched at the end of the handle, the vines spelling out a name.

Lucy was starting to head over to the rugs to help when she heard another 'clang', though this time much louder. "Hey Jay-" She stopped when she noticed the horrified expression on her comrade's face, her body frozen in a single position, the spoon on the floor again. "J-Jayra? Is anything wrong...?" The celestial mage approached her cautiously, her face full of concern as she studied her new friend's face.

"Jayra..." Faia touched her friend's hand gingerly with the tip of her nose, a worried expression on her face as she peered up at the shadow mage, her tail hanging lowly behind her. The touch seemed to bring Jayra back to the world again, the teen shaking her head to clear her thoughts before gazing down at the she-wolf with a wary smile on her face.

"It's nothing...it's nothing..."

Jayra didn't speak again until they finally left the town.

* * *

***Yeah I know...the paper sounds rather lame, right? XD But I really don't know what to put on it. :P Anyways, I just wanted to say that Hargeon Town is where Lucy met Natsu. ;)**

****Something like Converse shoes. ;)**

***** I'm assuming that he's still in Sabertooth after the Grand Magic Tournament...so if you're reading this after that arc is over in the manga and he ends up in a different guild...then...well...he's not in this story.**

***** Well, at least I **_**think**_** that's what she says when she summons someone. :3**

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**Okay! I hope you guys liked that. ^^ I'll try my best to update the next chapter asap. :] Oh yeah, and one more thing, please review! I might have said this before already, but it makes me feel more motivated to type more when I get reviews and stuff like that. ^^**


	6. Chapter 6: Unknown Reasons

**I'm sorry guys...I took such a long time to upload this time. . But now school's finally over for me, so I should be able to upload faster from now on. ;) But it still might take a while though, since right now I'm at a part that I didn't brainstorm too much for. . But I'll try. ;) **

**Uh...I don't really know what to say so I'll just let you guys read.**

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Faia stood beside Orsan, her cerulean eyes on her best friend. After getting back from their first mission, Jayra had stayed solemn for a period of time, her mind on something unknown to the female wolf. But now, she was back to normal, sitting between Erza and Lucy at a table, an embarrassed smile appearing at something Cana had just said. It was a few days since they had went to Hargeon, and the teen had started to fit in more with the help of both her two new friends.

Faia sighed heavily. She was happy that the shadow mage was making new friends, but she still felt a little hurt that Jayra hadn't told her anything about the silver spoon and why she looked so upset. The jet black she-wolf frowned sadly, remembering how her friend had brushed her off when she had questioned her about it.

_"Jayra...are you okay?" Faia approached the dark haired girl, who was sitting on the edge of the bed of the inn they were staying in for the night. The she-wolf slowly sat down beside her, her blue eyes filled with concern as she stared at the shadow mage's troubled face. Her elbows were on her knees, her two hands clutched together as her head rested on them."You can talk to me if you want to. You know I'm always willing to listen to you," She touched the teen's arm tenderly, but was immediately pushed away._

_Faia stared up at Jayra in shock, mouth slightly agape. It was the first time Jayra had rejected the she-wolf's kindness, the canine's blue eyes filled with hurt. All Jayra did was glance at her, not speaking at all, shaking her head a few times before returning her eyes to the blank spot on the wall._

"What's with the long face?" The jet black wolf gazed up at the golden wolf beside her, another sigh escaping her lips. "I feel that...I feel that Jayra doesn't trust me very much," She switched her gaze down to her paws before continuing. "When I asked her why she looked so upset a few days ago, she wouldn't even tell me..." Faia sighed heavily. "If Lucas was here she would probably tell him," Faia's tone darkened, grief faintly heard in her voice. "She would probably tell him everything."

Orsan gazed at the she-wolf's face before finally turning away, a melancholic smile on his muzzle, his eyes softening. "Jayra knew Lucas a lot longer than she knew you, so I wouldn't be surprised if she did," He switched his gaze to the shadow mage he was talking about, watching as her eyes widened at something Erza said. "But I think that even if Lucas were to be here, she wouldn't have told him about that spoon incident either. It seems to be about something much more serious than usual."

Faia gazed up at the massive wolf beside her before finally turning away, another sigh escaping her lips. "Really?" Her eyes slowly trailed up to the ceiling, allowing her head to fall back loosely. "I'm not so sure about that..." Faia returned her gaze to Orsan. "But I'm sure Jayra will tell us eventually. She always does," She offered him a small smile.

Orsan returned the smile, his green eyes soft with affection. He suddenly leaned towards the younger wolf, touching his forehead to her left cheek while closing his eyes. "Hey Faia, I love you."

Faia twitched her ears, an amused smile dancing on her lips as she pulled back. "I know. You say that all the time. But you mean you love me like a sister, right?"

A frigid smile appeared on the larger wolf's muzzle, the softness in his eyes gone as his green eyes bore into blue ones. His figure seemed to tower over the smaller wolf, the two canines staring blankly at each other as Faia waited for her reply. Orsan turned, breaking the eye contact, an amused snort sounding from him before he spoke. "That's right."

**-XXXXX-**

Orsan watched as Jayra sat down alone beside a quiet stream, the teen back in the first outfit she wore since they arrived at Magnolia.***** Her arms were hugging her knees loosely, her eyes on the flowing water as the breeze gently tugged at her hair. Orsan frowned slightly before taking a deep breath and stepping out; his green eyes slightly narrowed.

"Jayra," He called out; watching as the shadow mage turned her head to lay her eyes on him. She nodded once to him in greeting once she saw who he was, and turned back to the stream before her. The golden wolf grimaced slightly when he noticed how the teen didn't greet him verbally, but shrugged it off and took a seat beside her. When sitting down, Orsan was a lot taller than her, and for once the mage looked small.

The massive wolf side glanced at the girl beside him, letting out another sigh as he lowered himself to lie down. "You know, Jayra, you hurt Faia a lot when you didn't tell her about a few days ago," His voice came out taut and accusing, his ears slightly pulled back in annoyance. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the mage look up at him abruptly, her two eyes wide with surprise, her mouth wavering as she searched for something to say.

"Sh-she told you about that?" She looked down at her feet, her eyes filled with guilt. "It's just that...I don't want her to worry even more about me when I tell her the reas-"

Orsan was suddenly up on his feet, his eyes glaring down at Jayra as he towered over her, part of him not believing how oblivious she was. "You think that would make her worry less? If anything, it'll make her worry more! Open up your eyes, Jayra! Can't you see how much you're hurting her?"

The shadow mage shrank back, her eyes unable to meet with the wolf before her. One hand reached out and tugged on a handful of grass, the other playing around with a lock of hair from the long side. "I-I'm hurting her?" Her head bowed down even lower. "Was I always hurting her all this time?" She looked upset, her lips in a sad frown. "Why didn't I realize it sooner?"

Orsan sighed heavily, allowing himself to sit back down with a _thump _as he began to cool down. _Sometimes I wonder how she could be so observant and oblivious at the same time._ He gazed at the gloomy mage, beginning to feel guilty himself when he saw her expression. _Maybe I was too harsh on her. _"It doesn't matter. You know now, right? That's all that matters."

Jayra finally lifted her head back up, though her eyes still wouldn't meet the golden wolf's. "I guess you're right," A faint smile appeared on her face. "Don't worry, I'll tell Faia once I see her later."

Orsan sighed again, though this time there was a warm smile on his face. "Okay, you go do that. It'll make her very happy once you do," Jayra just nodded once, her eyes returning to the stream.

A few minutes passed with silence.

"Hey Orsan..." The wolf looked up when he heard his name, his eyes gazing curiously at the human beside him. The way her mouth opened and closed again suggested that she was deciding whether or not to speak, until she finally decided to. "Do you...do you hate me?"

The corners of Orsan's lips tugged upwards, letting out an amused snort as he rolled his eyes. "Where did you get that?" He butted her arm in a friendly manner with his head, trying to make himself look as cheerful and entertained as possible; though truthfully he felt a little troubled.

"It's just that sometimes...sometimes I feel like you think I'm troublesome and a nuisance...but it could just be me," She spoke the last part quickly, her eyes looking around nervously, an awkward smile on her face. "I mean, I'm not sayin-"

"Jayra," The girl stopped talking, her eyes finally meeting with Orsan's. He had dropped the act, now a sad smile on his face. "Jayra, I can promise you that I do not hate you. It's true that I may not care for you the same way Faia or Lucas does, but I still really care for you."

The black and blue haired girl allowed that to sink in, her head tilting slightly to the right in a questioning manner. The depressing aura she carried earlier was beginning to fade away, one of her eyebrows arched up in interest. "And what would that way be?"

Orsan smiled. "You can say I care for you the way a personal bodyguard would for the weak princess."

Jayra laughed lightly, starting to get up from the ground. "Oh, so now I'm a princess and you're my bodyguard?"

"Mm-hm. Something like that."

The shadow mage laughed again, beginning to make her way back to the guild. "Okay, okay. Well, I'm gonna go and talk to Faia now," She raised her hand up to wave. "I'll see you later!"

The golden wolf raised his tail to show he heard, watching as the teen disappeared around the corner of the building as she walked off. **Orsan stared at the spot he last seen her before finally facing the trees, his eyes narrowed in hostility. "I know you're there."

Out from the trees came a single dog. He was large like Orsan, though not as large, and his two black eyes stared blankly at the wolf. *** From experience, Orsan knew the dog wouldn't speak, and he suspected that it was because he was incapable of something so difficult. Orsan stood up, his tail lashing out at the air behind him, his muzzle curled up in a snarl. "I suggest you leave now. I don't know why you're here, or who your owner is, but if what you want has anything to do with Jayra, Faia, or me, I can tell you right here and right now that you won't be getting it. So once again, I suggest you to leave again before I beat you up like the previous dogs."

The dog didn't listen, and continued to stand there, his dull eyes gazing back into Orsan's green ones. The air seemed to be filled with static; one canine just standing there while the other in a stance that suggested he was about to attack. Finally, the dog growled once and then turned away with his head held up high, returning back into the trees.

Orsan snorted, turning away as well as he began to follow the trail Jayra had went earlier. He had already encountered three of the dog's companions; and each time he had to fight them before they would finally leave. At first, Orsan had thought it was just some random dog that was aggressive and wanted to fight. But when he encountered a second dog that carried the same scent, he began to suspect it was something much more serious. Faia and Jayra knew nothing about the occurrences, and the golden wolf was trying to keep it that way. He had no idea what they wanted, but knew he had to keep them away no matter what. The massive wolf paused, glancing back over his shoulder before continuing, his ear twitching in curiosity and wariness. _Seems like this dog was more sensible- and left before he could get hurt. _He grunted before continuing on, his lips in a taut frown, his mind drifting off to some far off place. _I seriously wonder what they want, though._

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***I have no idea if there is some stream like this in Magnolia, but let's just say there is one for the sake of this story. :P**

****Okay, I'll give you a better idea of how I imagine the place. So I'm thinking of some pretty wide clearing that has a stream, trees, and a building surrounding it. If you were to be facing the stream, there would be trees on the two sides and the back of a building would be behind you. (But it would be pretty far behind since the clearing is supposed to be pretty big. On the opposite side of the stream would be another clearing, though smaller and surrounded by only trees. The building is supposed to be some old building off the outskirts of the town, so barely anyone would be around. :P (Hope that made sense.)**

*****Something like a rottweiler.**

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**Hopefully that wasn't too bad. I typed most of this in just one day so hopefully it doesn't sound rushed or anything. Anyways, please review!**


	7. Chapter 7: He's Right & Orsan's Profile

**Sorry for not updating for some time...but yeah...I wasn't in town. :-/ And next week I'll be out of town again. . So I'll see what I can do about updating. But yeah...that's all I've got to say. Hope you like this chapter. (And sorry for it being a little short .)**

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Faia sighed boredly, the black canine lying down on the cold wooden floor of the apartment, her head resting on her two front paws. Earlier, when both Jayra and Orsan had left the guild, the she-wolf had nothing to do so she decided to return to the room Jayra had rented at Fairy Hills. But even then, Faia still had nothing to do.

The black she-wolf was in the middle of getting up to jump onto the bed when the door of the apartment opened. Faia smiled when she recognized the familiar tall figure and the different-lengthed hair of her best friend, the canine heading towards the door in greeting. "Hey Jayra, you're back."

The teen turned around to close the door before she replied, a smile on her face. "Yep," She walked further into the room, taking a seat on the couch, her bright expression changing into a serious one. "You know, Faia..."

The she-wolf flicked her ears curiously, her head slightly tilted to the right."Yeah?"

Jayra's eyes trailed over to stare at the window beside the bed. Since they had moved in not too long ago, the room was mostly empty, with only three pieces of furniture and a lot of boxes stacked up to one of the walls. A simple baby blue curtain hung over the window, making the room seem darker than it really was. The two of them with their black fur and clothes only added to the darkness. "You're curious about the other day, right?"

Faia stared blankly at the teen before her, her mouth suddenly dropping open when she finally processed what the shadow mage had just said. _Is she going to tell me about it? But...but Jayra...she never does that!_ The wolf's expression brightened as she straightened her back, the smile that she failed to contain causing Jayra to laugh.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you," The teen got off the couch, her steps silent and swift as she walked over to the window, throwing the curtains open to let the sun in. Jayra stared at the scenery for a while before finally starting. "That spoon...was my mother's," When she turned a bit towards Faia and saw the expression on the wolf's face, she quickly brought her two hands up and shook them in denial. "No, well...at least I _think_ it was my mother's..." Her hands slowly drifted down to her sides. "I mean...it was silver and gold as well...and it had the roses...and the name..." Her voice grew softer and softer until it was barely a whisper. "It even had the same small scratch."

"Jayra," When the teen looked down, she saw that the black wolf had suddenly made her way to her side in the short time the girl wasn't looking. "It's your mother's. I'm sure it is. I don't think there could be that many coincidences..." Faia's eyes drifted to the floor, a sad expression on her face. "Are you going to do something about it?"

"No..." The shadow mage lowered her body to sit on the floor, her back against the wall, her arms loosely hugging her knees. "What _can_ I do about it? So my house was raided and probably most of the items were stolen. So what? It's not like I can do anything about it even if I wanted to. It's my own fault for leaving it. Besides, I decided that I would never return to that place," Jayra brought her head down to rest against her arms, hiding her eyes from Faia. "But even then...the thought...the thought that all those items that held memories...the dolls that my siblings and I would play with...the pocket watch my father would always use...the plate that carried the first omelette I ever made...the thought that all those precious items were stolen is still very..." Jayra sighed heavily, allowing her head to rest against the wall, her hands dropping down to her sides. "...upsetting."

Faia gazed solemnly at the teen for a while, not knowing what to say. _Where's Orsan when he's needed? He's much better with words than I am... _"Jayra..." The she-wolf sat down to the right of the teen, only the noises of the faraway streets heard.* "As long...as long as you hold the memories in your heart then it's fine isn't it? You may feel that it's your fault that that happened...but, just like you said, it couldn't be helped. The only way would have been if you decided to stay there forever. But if you did that, then you wouldn't have met Orsan, Lucas, or me...you wouldn't have met Fairy Tail either. Instead...instead just let the thought that new memories could be sprouted from those very same items by others fill your mind," The wolf nuzzled Jayra's arm. "And then you'll be fine."

Faia suddenly stood abruptly, heading towards the lonely bed on the other side of the room. "Besides..." When she reached it, she swiftly batted out something below the bed with her left paw, the smile on her face sparking Jayra's curiosity. Something clattered lightly against the wooden floor, and the canine quickly took it gently in her jaws before padding over to the shadow mage. Her eyes gleamed as she placed the item before Jayra, a smile dancing on her muzzle. "Not everything was stolen."

Jayra delicately picked up the spoon before laughing loudly, using her arm to hook Faia around the neck into a hug, a sly smile forming on her face. "Now now, Faia, you know it's not right to steal."

Faia smiled warmly. "What do you mean? They were the ones that stole in the first place. I was simply returning a stolen item to the rightful owner."

The shadow mage gazed at the spoon, unlocking her grip around Faia so her other hand was free, her finger tracing the patterns of the roses, her eyes soft with affection for her best friend. "Rightful owner, huh?"

**XXX**

Jayra blinked sleepily, allowing her eyes to take a moment to adjust to the harsh sunlight that lit up the room. "Morning already?" She murmured softly as she threw the blanket off her body, quickly changing from her simple blue night gown to her outside clothes. "Faia, Orsan, it's time to wake up," She called out casually as she slipped the fish net glove on, suddenly noticing how quiet the town seemed. _Hm...odd...but it's nice to get some peace for a change. Magnolia could get a little loud sometimes. _"Hey Faia, Orsan, get-" The teen blinked slowly at the empty couch, a single eyebrow arching in surprise. "Huh...how unusual...they're up before me...I wonder where they went."

Jayra shrugged as she exited the room and headed towards the guild, allowing her heels to click loudly against the wooden floor. As soon as she exited the building, she understood why it was so silent. "No one's here," The whisper escaped her lips, the panic in her chest beginning to grow. "No one's here," This time she spoke louder, breaking into a run as she made her way to the guild, her eyes stinging from the wind, her hair whipping her face. _Don't tell me..._ Jayra suddenly let out a surprised shout as she fell to the floor, her haste making her trip, her left knee hitting the ground first.

"Oh...don't you look pathetic now."

The shadow mage froze for a moment, only able to stare at the ground in confusement. The voice rang from every direction possible, and the deep gruff tone was recognizable as a man's. Jayra slowly raised her head, her hands pushing against the floor to raise her body, eyes searching for the one who spoke.

"Don't worry about finding me- cause I promise you that you won't."

The teen gritted her teeth, hating the fear she felt in her heart as her eyes returned to the floor, her legs paralyzed from the shock.

"What are you doing? Get up already."

Her hands gripped frustratedly at the dirt.

"Not getting up? Fine, I can still talk to you whether you're lying down or standing up- I really couldn't care more," The voice paused for a moment. "Anyways, I just wanted to say hi. Make you aware of me I guess? Yeah, that's it. Truth is, I wanted to warn you about a little something."

Jayra raised her head to the sky, eyes blinking slowly. "Warn me...?"

"Yep, that's right. Warn you...warn you that a little something's gonna happen with one of your new friend's tomorrow. But that's all I'm saying. Cause it's no fun if you know everything."

The shadow mage opened her mouth to say something when she was suddenly bathed in darkness, the town no longer visible. Jayra raised her hand to reach out to something, grabbing at nothing but air, a look of both disbelief and anxiety on her face. "New friend...? I don't believe you..."

**XXX**

Jayra opened her eyes, for a moment not recognizing the white ceiling above her. "This is...?" A silent gasp escaped her lips as she sat up abruptly, letting out a relieved sigh when she saw Faia at the foot of the bed and Orsan resting on the couch. The teen smiled warmly, her head turning towards the window, leaving the bed to head towards it. _That was an odd dream._ She thought to herself, spotting a large dog a couple of meters away from the building, its two black eyes staring up at her window.

She turned and stepped away from the window when she realized it wasn't going to stop, taking her clothes out of a nearby box and quickly changing into them. The shadow mage raised her hand to the sunlight, studying it before putting the fish net glove on, letting out a large sigh when she thought back to the dream. _I guess I'm still scared of being alone after all._

"Jayra! Jayra! Are you in there? Jayra! We need to see you!" The teen paused, turning to the door and staring at it before realizing what was going on.

"Oh! I'll be right there!" She called out, hastily making her way towards the door, her teeth gritting when her hip hit the edge of the bed.

A loud yawn was heard from the couch, the golden wolf stretching before eyeing the door with his ears pricked forward in curiosity. "Who could it be so early in the morning? I don't think I recognize this voice," Orsan yawned again, a smirk on his face as he watched the shadow mage clumsily grab the door handle, ears twitching in amusement.

As soon as the door was opened, a brunette took the shoulders of Jayra, shaking them in desperation. "Jayra! This is bad! We don't know where she is!"

"C-Cana?" The teen braced herself against the shaking, placing her own hands on Cana's shoulders to calm her down. "Wait...who is _she?"_

"Juvia! Juvia's missing!"

Jayra froze, her eyes widening, her mouth slightly agape as she stared back at the card mage, not believing what she heard. _He wasn't lying... He was right... No- not was, but _is_..._ The shadow mage's mind drifted away from reality, her eyes staring blankly at nothing as she whispered something quietly. "He's right..."

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**Name: **Orsan**  
Gender: **Male  
**Age:** 7**  
Guild: **Fairy Tail**  
Magic: **Enhance Magic**  
Race: **Dire Wolf**  
Partners**(Past and Present)**: **Lucas, Jayra, Faia**  
Main Partner: **Lucas**  
Appearance: **A massive golden wolf who has bright green eyes and a white underbelly. His build leans more on the thick-set side, his muscles visible below his thick fur. He is almost a whole head taller than Faia, and many are cautious around him at first because of his size. **  
Personality: **The first thing most notice about Orsan is how much he enjoys teasing others; usually seen smirking or laughing. However, he actually has a serious side as well that most people don't get to see. Like Faia, he's a caring wolf, though he doesn't like showing it. The promise he had made with Lucas makes him feel as if he has to solely care for both Jayra and Faia, not realizing that he should trust the two of them to care for themselves a little more. He also usually has a way with words; able to come up with defenses quickly and able to comfort others easily. **  
History: **He was born in Edolas not too long before the Anima took him and the his pack away to Earthland. However, when he had arrived at his new home, he was separated from the rest of his pack and by chance was found by Lucas. The young boy was a lone traveler so he took Orsan in, deciding to raise the golden wolf. A month later, they found Jayra and traveled together as a trio. However, three years later their trio turned into a quadruplet, which turned back to a trio again when Lucas went missing. He still stays with Faia and Jayra because of a promise he made with Lucas, and because of his feelings for Faia.**  
Fun Facts: **Notices things quickly when it comes to Faia; Was the one chosen to name Faia; Was named by Lucas; The name given to him by his parents was Elriosh (Ell-ree-osh); Sometimes claims his intuition is telling him something

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***I'm pretty sure that Fairy Hills isn't very close to the rest of the city, so that's why I said 'faraway'.**

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**Well...so that's the chapter. . Personally I don't like this chapter that much but...well...*shrugs* Anyways, please review. ;) And if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll answer as long as it doesn't give something away that's important in the story plot.**


	8. Chapter 8: A Husband's Promise

**Whew! I just got back from my little vacation so here's the next chapter! Hope I didn't make the wait too long. . And btw, I changed the way I post the little profile things, since it doesn't seem right to post a whole chapter thing just for a profile thing. So from now on, I'll be posting them along with a chapter so there won't be any disappoints from seeing a new update just to find out it's just a profile. ;) Anyways, please enjoy this chap. ;)**

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Hastin sighed loudly as he entered the inn room, running a hand through his deep brown hair, his other hand in his pocket as he closed the door. He took off the white trench coat he wore to reveal the plain, navy-blue sleeveless shirt and the black trousers he had on; the young mage quickly kicking his shoes off before further entering the room.

"Welcome back."

Hastin smiled warmly at the sound of his wife's voice, immediately heading over to the wooden chair she sat at, cupping her face gently before kissing her softly on the lips. The two stared at each other for a while, her loving gaze giving him back all the energy he had lost earlier, the exhaustion he had felt beginning to vanish.

"How did it go?" Sayuri's voice was laced with concern as she placed her hand on his cheek gently, her light pink eyes noticing the tired look in his eyes. She knew that the reason he was tired wasn't because he used up a lot of his magic energy, but because she knew her husband's conscience was causing him to constantly argue with himself over his current job.

Hastin let out another sigh as he broke contact with her, heading over to the bed to take a seat, the mattress caving in slightly to his weight. "It went fine but...it was kinda odd...she didn't really react when I tried to provoked her..." The mage grimaced as his golden eyes trailed to the ceiling, allowing his head to fall back. " I really wonder what Elsia wants with that girl..."

Sayuri gazed at him for a while before looking away, her lavender waves hiding her face from her husband, her bright eyes growing dark as an image of the woman appeared in her head. "I don't like Elsia..." *

Hastin returned his gaze to the beautiful woman, his eyes filled with trouble when he saw his wife's dark expression. "I know...I don't like her either but...the pay she is willing to give us is a lot more than anyone else and..." His eyes flashed with determination. "And I am willing to do anything to make sure you can live a better life," The dark brown haired man's eyes softened as he stood up to head back to Sayuri, taking her two hands in his as their eyes met. "You and-"

"Oh sorry, am I interrupting something?" A white wolf spoke as soon as he entered the room, his face turned away to the side, his light purple eyes blinking apologetically.

Sayuri's rose pink eyes turned over to the canine, a pleasant smile on her face as she nodded once in greeting, her left hand briefly sweeping her bangs out of her face. "Augment, you're back."

Augment dipped his head in return, stepping into the room so he could close the door. His long legs carried him over by the two mages before he sat down before them, his tail placed neatly over his paws as he nodded to Hastin as well. "Did I miss anything?"

The young man shook his head, retreating back to the bed, this time Sayuri following after him. "We were just talking about the job..." His golden eyes narrowed as he laid them on the alabaster coat of Augment. "And actually... now Elsia needs you to do something as well."

Purple eyes stared ahead, unwavering, as the white wolf tilted his head slightly to the left. "Oh really? Is that so? What does she want?"

"She wants you to make friends with the two wolves."

Augment's eyes studied a small cut on his left paw, the canine flexing it delicately to make sure it still didn't sting. "Make friends with them? You mean Faia and Orsan? I can do that."

Golden eyes gazed worriedly at the young wolf, a look that the mage had on often for the past few days. "But Augment...are you sure you're gonna do it? Cause you don't need to if you don't want to...I would feel bad if you felt as if you were obligated to help," Hastin spoke what his wife had on her mind as well, their two pairs of eyes both on the wolf.

Augment flicked his tail once as he frowned, purple eyes narrowing slightly. "I already told you two...I _want _to do this," Ears twitched. "Besides, I'm indebted to the both of you," He padded over to the couple, a kind smile on his face as he looked up at them. "And more than anything, I want to see the two of you live a happy life with your unborn child...And speaking of the child..." His eyes trailed down the spring green yukata Sayuri wore until they rested on the hand rested above her stomach. "When will she or he be born?"

Sayuri lifted the hand up to her mouth as she laughed gently, her other hand automatically reaching for her husband's. "Silly Augment. I'm only one month pregnant; it'll be a long time before our baby's born."

"Long time...huh?" Hastin's golden eyes looked distant as he stared up at the ceiling, his fingers closing around his wife's right hand. "I wonder if all this will be over by the time the eight months are over."

Augment stared intently at him as a long silence followed in the room. "Well," The wolf broke the stillness, his tail flicking once. "I'll be retiring for the night," He turned away to head back to the outdoors, halting when he heard his name called again.

"Wait, Augment. Are you sure you want to go outside? You can stay in here with us if you want," It was Sayuri who spoke.

White fur ruffled up slightly as the canine shook his head. "No, it's alright. I don't want to get in the way of the two of you," He took a few more steps before stopping again. "Besides, I've always preferred the outdoors," The dire wolf glanced over at Sayuri and Hastin before leaving the room to somewhere unknown to the two of them.

**XXX**

Jayra studied her surroundings, noting the humid atmosphere and the amount of spa houses present. "Which town is this?" She turned her head to Cana, who was walking alongside the shadow mage, a determined look on her face.

Earlier, after the card mage had told Jayra, Orsan, and Faia of the news, they quickly headed towards the town where Cana had lost Juvia, meeting Gray on the way. He volunteered to help as well with a look of worry of his face, the ice mage having just completed a mission himself. Once they reached the town, it was decided that the team of five would split into two groups. Faia, Orsan, and Gray were to patrol the outskirts while Jayra and Cana were to search within the town itself. Now, the two teens toured the streets, looking for any clues that could lead to the missing water mage.

"It's Balsam Village, and it's known for being a spa town," The card mage stopped abruptly by the base of a small inn, which was only two floors at the very most. "This is where we promised to meet- and where she never showed up," Cana turned to the other two, purple eyes dark with concern. "What do you think happened to her?"

Jayra gazed up silently at the building, her eyes flashing when she thought back to the dream she had earlier, the teen shaking her head to rid the thought. "My guess is as good as yours...the options are she either got captured, got lost, got distracted, or left on her own. But the last three seem rather unlikely so that leaves..."

"But why?" Cana wailed, the panic she had felt when she first noticed Juvia's absence returning again. After she had barged into Jayra's room, both the shadow mage and Faia tried their best to calm the brunette down, but she was beginning to forget the words she was told earlier. "_Who _would do this? And for what reason? Why Juvia specifically?"

Jayra looked down at her feet awkwardly, unable to answer. Though she didn't know the card mage for very long, she knew that she usually didn't act this way from the unsure looks Gray had earlier.

A few moments of silence seemed to resound from within the streets before Cana abruptly turned on her heels and headed towards a new direction, leaving the shadow mage to follow in pursuit. For a moment, Jayra watched the back of the tall card mage before remembering something that was poking at the back of her mind.

"Hey Cana...why did you call for help from me rather than Lucy and the others?" Cana glanced back at her, pausing for a moment to think of her reply, taking her mind off of Juvia for the first time in a while.

"Well, truthfully it's mostly because they weren't around or were doing their own thing...but...I really don't know why since there were others still around..." The brunette shrugged with a friendly smile on her face as she waited for the shadow mage to reach her side. "Maybe it's cause there's something about you that seems...reliable?"

"Reliable?" Jayra chuckled as she looked away, her feet shuffling idly as she eyed a torn up doll on the floor. "I haven't heard that one before..."

**XXX**

"Why are you acting so laidback?" Faia shot a glare at the golden wolf beside her, feeling somewhat agitated by the way he seemed to stroll on carelessly, his tail swaying nonchalantly. After they had decided to split into two teams, Faia, Orsan, and Gray all immediately began to patrol the outskirts. As of now, they hadn't even finished one tenth of the way. Though unpopulated, the three quickly realized that Balsam Village was a spacious town.

"It's 'cause my intuition tells me she's fine," Orsan replied simply, watching the she-wolf out of the corner of his eye. Gray just walked awkwardly on the wolf's other side, unable to find a way to jump into their conversation, pretending to be occupied with the scenery.

Faia frowned, her blue eyes unblinking as she studied her surroundings while talking to the massive wolf at the same time. "Your intuition? You're always saying that."

"I know."

Silence.

Faia came to a slow halt when they neared a running river, for a moment staring at it in quiet fascination, watching as the powerful water swept a large log downstream with its current. A little part of her felt relieved that they could use the loud sound of the running water as an excuse not to speak, the black wolf beginning to realize how awkward the atmosphere was with Gray around.

"So this is where they get their water for all their hot springs and stuff," Orsan stepped up beside Faia, barely audible over the roaring river, his affectionate gaze on the she-wolf beside him. The golden wolf glanced back at Gray when he felt a nudge at his shoulder, the ice mage leaning forward to speak in Orsan's ear.

"I think we should look for Juvia around here, since her magic is water and all."

The massive canine nodded once in agreement, quickly relaying the message in Faia's ear. The young she-wolf offered a smile to Gray as she agreed, flicking her tail once before turning away and heading upstream while the others headed down.

Faia paused as she neared a couple of bushes, her nose lifted to the air to scent it. _A...dog?_ She shook her head in disbelief. _No...can't be._ Her head lowered so she could smell the ground, the wolf padded a couple of steps forward, immediately halting in surprise when a small dog emerged out of the bushes, its snout only an inch away from Faia's. _A chihuahua?_

A smile lit the black wolf's lips as her ears tilted forward to show she was friendly; Faia expecting the small canine to mirror her actions. Instead, the dog leapt at her, an innocent look in its large eyes, its body hitting the right foreleg of the much larger canine. Faia let out a small gasp as she lost her balance on the uneven ground, claws scrabbling desperately at the rock in an attempt to regain it, blue eyes squeezed shut as she felt a sharp rock open a gash in her paw. _It's...it's no use._ Her eyes opened again. _I can't hang on. _

Orsan whipped his head when he heard a piercing yelp, just in time to see the black she-wolf fall into the river, her head not reappearing until many yards away from the spot he last seen her. "Faia!" The large wolf bounded over to the river bank, watching in horror as her black flank disappeared once again, this time not resurfacing anywhere near him. Close by, he heard Gray shout something he couldn't make out, the ice mage hurrying over to the golden wolf's side.

Orsan squeezed his eyes shut in self-hatred, his back bent over in frustration. _Why didn't I go with her?_ _Didn't I swear I would protect her?_ His eyes opened again, the green orbs studying the rushing water below him, reaching out an experimental paw. _No...I can't...the river's too powerful. _He glanced at the direction the current took her as he broke into a run, whispering a quick spell under his breath, the ice mage right behind him blinking in surprise when he noticed how much lighter he felt. **

Gray glanced over at the river beside them and let out a curse. _It's too fast; there's no way we can catch up! _He switched his gaze over to the frantic wolf in front of him. _I could use my Ice Floor...but if I do it'll slow Orsan down for sure; it'd only help me but I would obviously run slower than a dire wolf. _His dark blue eyes narrowed as he thought back to the incredibly worried expression he saw on the golden wolf, the young mage frowning for a moment._ He looked so worried just then...shouldn't he trust Faia to be able to take care of herself a little more?_

"Faia should be fine though, right?" Gray called out to Orsan, forcing his legs to speed up when he noticed the distance between them seemed to be getting larger. "She should be able to use her magic in some type of way to help herself, right?"

The massive wolf let out a loud growl as he ran, a sound that chilled even the ice mage, Orsan's strides growing longer with each step. "That's the problem- she doesn't have magic!"

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*** Well, the pronunciation for the names in the chapter so far are pretty self-explanatory, but just in case you don't know: Hastin= Hass-tin; Sayuri= Sa-you-lee; Elsia= Ell-see-ah**

**** Just to make it clear, Orsan used some of his magic here, which is why Gray feels lighter.**

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**New characters, yay! :D Hope you guys like them so far. . Anyways, I'm gonna try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, so hopefully you guys won't have to wait as long. . And once again, please review! **


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